1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for isolating a component from mechanical shock and vibration and, more particularly, to such a device which is uniformly effective in all directions and exhibits a generally convoluted open frame support structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been a goal to isolate certain items against mechanical shock and vibration while adequately supporting such items. Because of the generally complex and fragile nature of electronic circuitry and components, electronic equipment is a prime candidate for such a requirement. The prior art is replete with examples of constructions for providing isolative support for a variety of items. Some of these examples are very old, which is a clear indication that the problem has existed for a long time.
Typical of an early construction is U.S. Pat. No. 1,823,115 to Morriss which discloses, an elastic suspension for a perambulator, or baby carriage, incorporating a C-shaped member in its suspension. Other early concepts relating to supporting structures for electric motors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,018,180 to Lawton and No. 2,096,621 to Skolfield. In the former instance, flat springs are preferably bent back upon themselves to form loop portions. In the latter instance, an elastic fan-motor supporting arm is designed to decouple circumferential and transverse noise-generating vibrations of the rotating parts from the fan support structure, said thereby to reduce structure-borne noise.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,492,965 to Carr discloses a resilient mount for landing skis of an aircraft in the form of a curved, C-shaped leaf spring rigidly attached to the ski and by way of a single-axis pivot to the axle of the wheel of the aircraft's landing gear.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 2,913,215 to Kerley, Jr. et al. discloses a shock and vibration isolator designed for isolation in "all three planes", and made in the form of a flexible, curved sheet of metal or the like, on at least one face of which rubber or other similar material is secured. The patent states that ". . . isolation is achieved without any critical frequency range except in edge-wise high frequency vibration". In this regard, however, the assertion by Kerley, Jr. et al. that a one-piece elasto-viscous mount has no resonant range, as distinguished from, for example, a sophisticated active automatic control system, is challenged.
It was in recognition of the continuing need to protect dynamic load-sensitive equipment, such as a mass storage device, against shock and vibration that the present invention has been conceived and is now reduced to practice.